Cleaning device



'1. C. MATTHEWS.

CLEANING DEVICE.

mruc mou FILED 05c. 10.:918. 1

1,320,260. 7 Patented Oct. 28,1919.

FFIQ.

JOHN C. MATTHEWS, OF TRION, GEORGIA.

CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. as, 1919.

Application filed December 10, 1918. Serial No. 266,058.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JOHN C. MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trion, in the county of Chattooga and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved cleaning device, and contemplatesmore particularly a sweeper for cleansing and polishing floors andsimilar surfaces.

An object of the present invention is the production of an easilyhandled cleaning device comprising complementary sweeping members hingedtogether at one end, and adapted to be pushed or dragged over a surfacefor gathering dust, dirt, waste material, and the like.

Another object of this invention is to produce a sweeper which can becheaply made, and at the same time possess advantages of durabilitygreatly in excess of the wearing qualities of the ordinary broom.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement ofthe several parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings which show an embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is aperspective view of my improved cleaning and polishing device.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the manner in which the complementarysweeping members may be moved toward or away from each other through themanipulation of the controlling handles.

My present invention has been primarily designed for gathering lint,dirt, and waste material in and about mill machinery where the alleysare required to be kept clean and preferably polished.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts, the cleaning device comprisescomplementary sweeping members 1 and 2, joined together by means of ahinge connection 3. The hinge is preferably of some flexible materialsuch as leather, raw hide, etc., and is joined to the sides of thesweeping members 1 and 2 by any suitable means, such for example asrlvets 4:.

somewhat closely with very fine wire. In

some cases a brushing material of bristles may be attached to saidedges, and I do not limit myself to the exact form herein con tained.The lower edge of the back wall, or hinge is also preferably providedwith a strip of similar material 6. The strips 5 and 6 may be continuousif desired.

This strip material isadapted to adhere in a partially frictional mannerto the surface being cleaned, thereby insuring the collection of allwaste material, and at the same time produce a polish over the surfacetraveled. It is secured to the flange 'or board 7 secured to thesweeping members, as shown in Fig. 2.

By this construction the material is firmly attached to the sweepingmembers, and a substantial cleaning and polishing edge of sufficientwidth is obtained.

Suitable handles 8 and 9 are secured to the complementary sweepinmembers 1 and 2 by means of bolts 10. The handle 8 is slightly longerthan handle 9 as shown, the purpose being to readily facilitate thecrossing of said handles during the manipulation of the sweeper, asindicated in Fig. 4:.

In use my improved sweeper is grasped by the handles 8 and 9, and pushedor dragged over the surface to be cleaned, with the sweeping membershowever, sufiiciently spread to gather the refuse or waste and directsame between said members and rearwardly against the back wall or hinge.The rear portion of the sweeping members may be slightly higher than thefront curved ends to permit the accumulation of the waste materialcollected. When dirt and lint, and other waste material is to becollected from in and about machines and the like, the complementarysweeping members can be manipulated so as to vary the width of theopening between the free ends thereof for adapting the sweeper to theplace to be cleaned. During this operation the sweeper need not belifted from the floor, but simply pushed or dragged as the case may be.

This method produces but slight elfort on the part of the operative, andis not tiresome or inconvenient as is the broom sweeping way of cleaningfactory and mill floors. It will also be apparent that the polishleft onthe floor after the passage of the sweeper, cannot be obtained throughthe use of the ordinary broom.

Minor changes in the form and proportion of my invention may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do notlimit myself to the eXact construction herein set forth.

I claim 1. A cleaning device of the class described comprising flexiblyconnected sweeping members between which the collected material isgathered, and means for moving the cleaning device and aforesaidsweeping members.

\ 2. A cleaning device of the class described comprising flexiblyconnected sweeping members each havin a cleaning edge adapted to bearupon tlie surface being cleansed and means comprising handles extendingfrom said sweeping members for moving the samevand the cleaning device.

3. A cleaning device of the class described comprising complementarysweeping members, a hinge connection for said members, a cleaning edgebeing provided on each sweeping member and hinge connection, and meansfor moving the cleaning Copies of this atent may be obtained for deviceand the aforesaid complementary sweeping members.

4. A cleaning device of the class described comprising complementarysweeping members hinged at one end and separably movable at the otherend thereof, and means attached to said sweeping members for separablymoving same, and the cleaning device.

5. A cleaning device of the class described comprising hingedcomplementary sweeping members each having a flanged edge, a cleaningand polishing material secured'to said flanged edges, and means formoving the free ends of said complementary sweeping members toward andaway from each other,

6. A cleaning device of the class described comprising hingedcomplementary sweeping members between which the waste material iscollected, and means for moving the open free ends of said sweepingmembers toward and away from each other, said means including oppositelydisposed handles of differentlengths extending from the aforesaidsweeping members.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN G. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

C. P. THoiv rsoN, B. F. FLOURNOY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,ID. G.

